Whole30 Update: Week 1

I survived the first week of Whole30! Earlier this month, I wrote about the whats and whys of vegetarian Whole30.

What I ate

Going into the challenge, I knew from many people that meal planning and food prep is crucial to succeeding. I’ve tried meal planning in the past, but it’s never really worked for me. I may have an idea of one dish I want to make, but that’s generally it. Otherwise, it’s always a game of pulling things together to make a meal. Being single and living alone, it’s hard to do proper meal planning in the traditional sense.

So, I took my usual approach to grocery shopping. I always try to buy based on that week’s sales. Typically, I shop once or twice a week, leaving with smaller loads. I’ve found that if I buy enough for the whole week, I overestimate and things spoil. With my list, I just stuck to things that are Whole30 compliant.

During week 1, I had a smoothie for breakfast daily. In truth, the protein powder I use is non-compliant, while still an overall healthy option. But, because it’s an otherwise healthy option, it was the exception I was willing to make because protein powder is not cheap. Knowing that I want to use this month to help transition into more of a fully vegan diet, I knew that eggs weren’t a viable option.

A sweet potato, black bean, avocado, and salsa combination was a staple over the course of the week. I’m always so sad for the days that I didn’t think I liked avocado. It’s easily one of my favorite foods now. But, I digress.

The one thing I did know I wanted to make was the Whole30 basil spinach pesto. I mixed it with some roasted spaghetti squash and tomatoes. It was really great the first day, but didn’t translate into great leftovers. I think keeping the pesto and squash separated until serving would have helped on that end.

I roasted the squash seeds for a snack! Coconut oil, chili powder, and Kosher salt were the only ingredients I used for seasoning and they turned out so well.

10/10, will roast again.

How I felt

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I didn’t feel particularly great last week. Most of the week, I dealt with headaches and fatigue. That’s all pretty normal for the first week, especially depending on how you ate the days and weeks leading up to starting. Let’s be honest, with the holidays, I did not eat well. I had a lot of rich foods that I don’t usually eat, plus more treats and alcohol that I usually do.

In truth, dealing with how I felt last week was harder than the food. From everything I read, I knew I just needed to get through the first week and thus far, that’s proven to be true.

As weight loss is not intended to be the primary goal of Whole30, the founders discourage people stepping on the scale during the challenge. I did cheat and hopped on Monday morning. Although I do want to lose weight this year, that’s truly not why I’m doing this challenge. It may have backfired had the scale shown me a number I didn’t want, but I was pleasantly surprised. One week in and I lose five pounds! I know it’s a lot of water weight, but I’m counting it as a win.

All in all, week one felt like a success, especially avoiding the doughnuts and bagels around the office.